Just Revenge

Chapter Nine: The Ice is Broken

If I'm being honest, I didn't really expect anything to change after that. I've been through way too many disappointments in high school to expect hanging out with people to ever mean anything. Maybe it does for some people, but for me, it never has. So, when I climbed out of my dad's car for rehearsal the next day, I didn't even bother expecting them to talk to me. I walked up to the park with my bag slung over my shoulder, my feet sore from working all day. I was fully prepared to take my usual spot under the tree and slowly scoot towards their group like before so it took me by surprise when Max called me over.

"Carmen, get over here!" I looked toward the slowly forming group and only hesitated for a second before setting my bag next to Max and sitting down. I tried not to freak out on the outside, but inwardly, I was dying. This was not the outskirts anymore; this was the inner circle.

"My seats took forever to dry after yesterday. It was so embarrassing." Aurora complained to the circle.

"How is that embarrassing? I don't get it." Not that I'd admit, but I agreed with Harper.

"Because. My dad asked why my car smelled like lake and I had to tell him that my friends were idiots. He was judging you guys so much. It was terrible."

I laughed. "Yikes"

"I mean, it was totally worth it, but heck was it awkward."

"Heck?" I questioned.

" Ror doesn't swear." Max explained.

"Wouldn't want to dirty her mouth, would we?"

I looked up to see Cortland walk up to the circle. He ignored the large empty space next to me and sat on the side of the circle, squishing in between Aurora and Harper.

I locked eyes with him, smirking, "You can't sit next to me? Scared I'll throw you in another lake?"

He glared at me as the others laughed, "Maybe. Based on the lack of water around here though, I'd bet on the not wanting to be in your company for an extended time. But I could see how that might be confusing for you."

I rolled my eyes at him, "Whatever. I think you still have sand stuck in your hair."

"Okay, Flip Phone" He bit back.

I laughed, pulling out my phone, "You gotta admit though, it is one of a kind."

Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, a slight smile tugging at his mouth.

"Alright guys." I heard Marie's voice cut across the grass, "We're gonna start with 4.1 today and move through Act Four. I don't want any missed cues today, alright?" Her pointed look was directed right at our circle.

Max leaned towards me, "I think I just got sub-tweeted right there."

I smiled, "You think? If you'd been any later to 3.7 yesterday, you wouldn't have been in the scene."

"Okay, but I'm literally irrelevant in that scene anyway. Marie didn't even notice I was supposed to be there until Miranda told her."

"Almost getting away with something doesn't quite cut it though, does it?" I turned my head to smirk at him.

He bumped my shoulder with his own, "Shut up! Almost is better than some people ever get."

"I guess." My smirk growing, "Some people just aren't good enough to get more than that."

"Yeah?" He half laughed, "You'd know quite a bit about that, wouldn't you?"

I looked up to see 4.1 ending and stood up, smiling down at him. "No, but you would."

With an overexaggerated hair flip to show that I knew how extra that was, I walked away.

He caught up to me after I stopped near the shoe representing stage left on the grass.

"I get that that exit was cool, but I literally enter this scene with you."

"Still." I dropped my chin a little, "That exit though."

He half laughed, "Okay, yeah. I'll give you that it was good."

I laughed, "My favorite part was the hair flip."

"Oh, definitely." He used his right hand to mock flipping his hair as he strutted across the grass, swinging his hips excessively. His left hand sat on his hip and his lips were pursed dramatically.

I died laughing. "Stop!"

"Stop what?" His turned his head over his shoulder in that Instagram look back pose and raised his eyebrows innocently. His voice came out like eight pitches higher than normal in a terrible representation of a girl's voice.

"It...didn't...look...like...that" The strength of my argument was probably diminished by the fact that I was laughing so I hard I could barely stand, let alone argue.

I heard the last line of 4.1 delivered and snapped out of my laughter. He stopped his charade and walked back over to me. His smile was huge though as he offered me his hand – our characters entered holding hands for this scene.

"Ready, Goneril?"

I smirked once more, "Come on, Edmund. We've got a world to destroy."